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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · wound · present · craft · face · mine · wave · firm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. craft — boats
  2. firm — decided
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — a gift
  14. face — part of the head
  15. present — the time now
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — steady
  19. present — there
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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