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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — the season
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — to protest
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — a thing
  14. spell — letters
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. object — an aim
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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