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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — a stone
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rock — 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