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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — a short time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. spell — magic
  14. craft — boats
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — to crush

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