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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — in cards
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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