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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.

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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: fork · face · stick · dip · bat · craft · cell · rest

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. dip — to sink
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. craft — boats
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fork — in a road
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. dip — a sauce

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