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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 116 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: face · tube · rest · capital · march · craft · stand · ball

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tube — the underground
  11. face — part of the head
  12. capital — money
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. march — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — a city
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rest — what's left

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