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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. face — to confront
  3. wake — a trail
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rash — hasty
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — the season
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spring — of water
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — of a king
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. club — a group
  24. court — for sport

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