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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. craft — a skill
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a ring
  13. craft — boats
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — to add flavour

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