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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — a hat
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. craft — boats

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