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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — steady
  11. tear — to rip
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — decided
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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