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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.

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: leaves · court · face · trunk · scale · patient · saw · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — in music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. craft — boats

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