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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — the amount
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rash — hasty
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rash — a series
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to click

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