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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. row — to paddle
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mate — a partner
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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