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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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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: game · wind · bulb · leaves · march · rest · craft · face

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — a break
  5. march — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to confront
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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