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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. firm — steady
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. chest — a box
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — soda
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spell — letters
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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