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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — of law
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — boats
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. march — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of a king

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