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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a hole
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. ground — the earth
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — boats
  11. spell — letters
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spring — of water
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — in a race

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