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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — part of the head
  10. object — an aim
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. firm — a company
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — a thing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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