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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.

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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: net · fan · craft · plane · face · wound · mark · scale

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — a trace
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — boats
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — in sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. scale — in music

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