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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — to confront
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a ring
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — to point toward
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — to bend
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — electricity
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. club — a group

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