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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — certain
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to drill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. craft — boats
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. calf — of the leg

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