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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — a path
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — thin
  14. track — a song
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — a handicraft

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