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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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