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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — thin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lean — to rest against

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