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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.

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: object · scale · fan · file · firm · face · key · craft

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. object — to protest
  6. firm — decided
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. firm — steady
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — size or range
  24. face — part of the head

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