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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
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: craft · face · pass · wind · fan · pitcher · rock · drill

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — a practice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. craft — boats

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