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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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