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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rash — a series
  7. current — electric
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. current — happening now
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — to point toward
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. face — to confront
  24. rash — on the skin

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