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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: wake · file · craft · mine · kick · face · firm · chair

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a document
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — decided
  17. file — a line of people
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. firm — a company
  20. face — to confront
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — belonging to me

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