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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — happening now
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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