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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · wound · stand · face · bulb · mug · dip · craft

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — a group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mug — a face
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — boats
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — to rob

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