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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 116 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: cabinet · craft · bay · ruler · swing · capital · spring · face

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. face — to point toward
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. spring — of water
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spring — the season
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — part of the head
  22. swing — music
  23. capital — money
  24. spring — a coil

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