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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — finally

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