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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · arm · board · staff · march · row · face · wake

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. craft — a skill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — a line
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — to paddle
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — to get on

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