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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cell — a phone
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. row — a line
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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