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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — decided
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — a company
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently

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