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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 · rock · fall · fine · face · court · snap · date

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — the season
  6. court — of law
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. rock — music
  15. snap — to click
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — of a king
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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