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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. craft — a skill

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