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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · season · suit · fan · face · bound · land · craft

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — boats
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — a country
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — certain
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. suit — clothes
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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