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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: season · face · lean · rule · craft · leaves · bay · vault

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — of the year
  7. craft — boats
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rule — a law
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — to confront
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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