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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.

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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.

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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: mark · face · stick · toast · trunk · roll · craft · patient

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — a cake
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — a trace
  13. craft — a skill
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — boats
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a grade
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — bread
  24. trunk — of a tree

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