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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hand — help
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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