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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. net — in sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. craft — boats
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — a trail
  21. net — for catching
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com