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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 116 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: face · band · rest · craft · content · leaves · mark · wave

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a skill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — to confront
  24. content — the amount

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