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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a great time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — the time now
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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