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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — boats
  6. content — the amount
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — in a race
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. plane — a tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. content — happy

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