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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — a match
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — for digging

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