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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 · leaves · file · pit · bay · root · spell · face

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — to confront
  5. pit — in a race
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — part of the head

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