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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · bass · face · bound · march · cap · craft · date

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. march — music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — of ice
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — low music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — obliged

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