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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — a country
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to confront
  23. land — ground
  24. band — a music group

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