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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. dip — to sink
  5. craft — boats
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a grade

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