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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. clip — for paper
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  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