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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 124 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — a box
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — for dancing
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tear — from crying
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — boats
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — a video
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. club — for golf

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