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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: craft · season · key · face · file · rule · object · row

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — government
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a document
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. key — in music
  15. season — in sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. key — for a lock
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — of the year
  24. row — to paddle

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