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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. land — to come down
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to confront
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. race — humankind
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. race — a contest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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