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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — for betting
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hand — help
  16. mine — for digging
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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