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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: mark · roll · season · lean · bass · face · fall · craft

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — a list
  7. lean — to bend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bass — low music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — boats
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. face — to point toward
  17. season — in sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fall — the season
  22. mark — a trace
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — of the year

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