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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — help
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stand — to bear
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — to get on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — on your feet

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