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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
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: snap · object · key · bound · branch · craft · face · mate

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — to confront
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — a division
  15. key — in music
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — to breed
  20. object — to protest
  21. bound — tied together
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — a friend
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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