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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — crushed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — low music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — boats

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