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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — boats
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ground — a position
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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