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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — boats
  24. suit — to fit

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