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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — the amount
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ball — a dance

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