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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. face — to confront
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — a thing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pop — music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — soda
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — boats

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