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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 120 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: leaves · bank · face · rock · chair · craft · arm · chest

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — boats
  3. face — to confront
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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