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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.

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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: craft · jam · face · dip · file · shower · court · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. face — to confront
  3. craft — a skill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. dip — to sink
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a line of people
  10. court — of law
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — boats
  20. shower — rain
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. file — a tool

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