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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — a law
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lean — thin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — music
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — not warm

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