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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. last — final
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. game — wild animals
  11. file — a tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a document
  16. last — to go on
  17. game — a match
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — a skill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — a kind of play

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