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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ball — a great time
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — boats
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — part of the head
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a dance

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