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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a document
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mate — a partner

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