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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: fine · craft · face · swing · cold · object

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fine — high quality
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — a thing
  6. swing — music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — not warm
  13. swing — in golf
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cold — an illness

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