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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: snap · wax · saw · last · face · craft · arm · suit

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. last — finally
  3. face — to confront
  4. last — to go on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. last — final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. craft — boats
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — part of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — to grow
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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