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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.

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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: mark · net · wound · craft · face · cap · foot · wind

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — after costs
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — boats
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — a grade

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