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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — employees
  4. craft — boats
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — a stick

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