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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — government
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. firm — a company
  11. fork — in a road
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — a garden tool

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