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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — for golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — the animal

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