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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — to eat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. craft — boats
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — to breed

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