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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — the underground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — for digging
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a path
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — in music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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