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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — after costs
  8. face — part of the head
  9. capital — money
  10. present — there
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — boats
  15. face — to confront
  16. capital — a city
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — to point toward
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — for catching
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — a committee

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