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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to point toward
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — to confront
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. arm — part of the body
  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