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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. face — to confront
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — government
  11. craft — boats
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — to paddle
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — a law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — to point toward

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