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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spring — a coil
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of law
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. craft — boats
  22. face — to point toward
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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