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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. craft — a skill
  3. content — the amount
  4. rash — hasty
  5. track — a path
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — a break
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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