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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. band — a music group
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. firm — steady
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. band — a ring
  23. firm — a company
  24. scale — in music

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