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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — to bend
  3. craft — a skill
  4. net — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. last — final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. net — after costs
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — there
  23. last — finally
  24. present — the time now

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