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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. clip — for paper
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. shower — rain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. capital — a city
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — government
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — money
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ruler — for measuring

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