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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — music
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — the time now
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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