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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 120 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 · craft · lash · cabinet · game · chip · perch · net

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. net — for catching
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. net — in sport
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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