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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — to protest
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — a phone
  10. object — an aim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. object — a thing
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cell — in biology

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