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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a plant
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. foot — a measure
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. content — happy
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — the cause
  24. craft — a handicraft

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