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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stand — to bear
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chair — a professorship

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