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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. face — part of the head
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — completely
  10. field — a subject
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — the season
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — to point toward
  24. craft — a skill

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