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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. face — to confront
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. charge — a price
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. craft — boats
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. face — part of the head

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