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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — boats
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rock — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. arm — a part of something

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