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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — music
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — hasty
  24. saw — the tool

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