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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — boats
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to confront
  15. wake — a trail
  16. toast — bread
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bank — of a river
  23. face — part of the head
  24. trunk — of a tree

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