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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — to fit
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — boats

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