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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · stick · face · date · bowl · race

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a skill
  11. race — a contest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — the arms race
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — humankind

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