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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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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — a stone
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — boats
  21. court — for sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wind — to turn a key

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