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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.

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: bulb · chest · craft · face · scale · lean · snap · current

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. current — of water
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — a skill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chest — a box
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to click
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — size or range

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