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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — a series
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. march — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. face — to confront
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — boats
  21. march — the month
  22. face — part of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wave — with your hand

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