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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: lean · firm · craft · jam · band · kick · wind · face

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. band — a ring
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kick — in football
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. firm — steady
  13. face — part of the head
  14. firm — a company
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — decided
  17. band — a music group
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to confront

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