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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — hurry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chip — in a computer

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