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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — to confront
  5. stem — to come from
  6. face — part of the head
  7. craft — boats
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. court — of law
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — army training
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — to rest against

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