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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: root · lean · fall · wake · face · fine · game · craft

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lean — to bend
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — boats
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. craft — a skill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lean — thin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a word
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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