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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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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: cap · craft · board · court · face · hand · bay · cell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cap — of ice
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — help
  17. face — to confront
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cell — in biology

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