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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — to confront
  15. club — for golf
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mark — a grade

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