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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: face · saw · firm · lean · sharp · craft · staff · straw

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. face — to confront
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to point toward
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — steady
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. face — part of the head
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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