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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — in cards
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a music group
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. face — to confront
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a ring
  20. craft — a skill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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