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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. band — a music group
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a ring
  19. kid — child
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — boats
  24. ruler — for measuring

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