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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — letters
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. face — to confront
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. spell — magic
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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