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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · land · rest · pass · face · craft · fan · track

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. track — a path
  3. land — ground
  4. rest — a break
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — government
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — boats
  24. pass — to spend time

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