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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. face — to point toward
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — from crying
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a music group
  20. face — to confront
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a ring
  24. craft — a skill

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