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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — in cards
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — a leader
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. band — a music group
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — to fit

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