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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. craft — a skill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a word
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cell — in biology
  21. root — the cause
  22. mate — to breed
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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