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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — magic
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — tied together
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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