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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — to point toward
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — a coil
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — a line
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — boats
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — a group
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a skill

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