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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — soda
  12. present — a gift
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — there
  19. lean — thin
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. track — a song

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