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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — government
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. craft — boats
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to tire

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