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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pop — music

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