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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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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: key · bowl · craft · bay · face · object · rule · fork

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — government
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — a thing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. face — to confront
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. object — to protest
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — in music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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