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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. date — the fruit
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to confront
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — part of the head
  20. drill — a practice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. face — to point toward

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