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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. file — a line of people
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — to rip
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. club — a group
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. snap — to click

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