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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — boats
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to confront
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. sharp — with an edge

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