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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — to confront
  10. drill — army training
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — boats
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — to bear
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. face — to point toward

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