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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. row — a line
  3. craft — boats
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. last — final
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a quarrel

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