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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kid — child
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — boats
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bound — certain
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. suit — in cards

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