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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 116 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: key · face · fan · pound · staff · craft · snap · prune

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to point toward

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