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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — boats
  8. row — a line
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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