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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a trace
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fork — in a road

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