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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — a stone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rock — music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cell — in biology
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. tube — a container
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. content — the amount
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. content — happy
  24. cell — a phone

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