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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: craft · snap · straw · wound · charge · face · sharp · fine

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. snap — to click
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — in control
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — a price
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — high quality

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