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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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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: craft · stand · season · spell · cap · hand · rash · face

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — hasty
  3. face — to point toward
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — magic
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — in cards
  17. season — in sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. season — of the year
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — to bear

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