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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — to point toward
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spring — a coil
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — the season
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — of water
  14. face — to confront
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ground — the earth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. arm — part of the body

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