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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — to confront
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a list

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