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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rule — a law

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