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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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