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

Word bank: chip · face · jam · craft · prune · bear · rest · wind

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — boats
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bear — to put up with

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