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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rock — music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — boats
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — to confront
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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