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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: face · lean · roll · craft · chair · mouse · bowl · bass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. roll — a list
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — a cake
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — a leader
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — the animal

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