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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — help
  8. club — a group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — after costs
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — in sport

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