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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. last — final
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. foot — a measure
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — finally
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — in sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. net — for catching
  24. pound — a weight

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