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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — there
  10. cold — not warm
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — in music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cold — an illness
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. present — a gift
  21. date — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — a thrill

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