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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. bass — low music
  24. craft — boats

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