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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — government
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hand — help
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — a container
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — in a road
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a skill

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