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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. craft — boats
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bound — tied together
  8. file — a line of people
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. date — the fruit
  16. firm — decided
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — a company
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. date — on the calendar

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