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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. craft — boats
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a match
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — to breed
  10. face — to confront
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — a friend
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — wild animals

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