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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — of ice
  4. file — a document
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — of water
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — the season

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