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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. content — the amount
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — for paper
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. content — happy
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — to confront
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. can — to be able to
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to point toward
  24. clip — a video

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