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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — a skill
  15. firm — a company
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. firm — steady
  19. face — part of the head
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a bank

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