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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — help
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. face — to confront
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — in biology
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. craft — boats
  23. cell — a phone
  24. face — part of the head

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