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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: saw · craft · fall · face · suit · root · row · pop

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pop — music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. row — to paddle
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — to visit
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — the season
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. craft — boats
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — of a word
  24. craft — a handicraft

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