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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cold — not warm
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. present — the time now
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — an illness
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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