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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · can · mate · object · dip · saw · tear · rush

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — boats
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mate — to breed
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — to sink

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