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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. game — wild animals
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — final
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — to push
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. last — to go on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — happy
  24. wave — with your hand

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