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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — the time now
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — there

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