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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — of a river
  14. face — part of the head
  15. present — a gift
  16. date — the fruit
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chest — of your body

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