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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. craft — boats
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — goods
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ground — crushed
  24. content — the amount

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