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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. current — of water
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fall — the season
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — happening now
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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