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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: face · key · stick · mark · cap · craft · lean · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to bend

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