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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a hint
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — a signal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. last — final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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