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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — of water
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — the amount
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — boats
  15. bank — of a river
  16. perch — the fish
  17. last — final
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a skill
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — a permit

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