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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. capital — money
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — an injury
  12. capital — a city
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — in music
  24. rash — hasty

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