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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. present — there
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — a handicraft

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