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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: bass · cabinet · craft · court · arm · dip · leaves · face

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. craft — a skill
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — for sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — low music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. craft — boats
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — of law
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a handicraft

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