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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. date — the fruit
  8. club — a group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — for dancing
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. foot — a measure
  24. squash — the vegetable

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