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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · craft · spell · land · face · key · fall · swing

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spell — letters
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fall — the season
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — in music
  13. land — a country
  14. craft — boats
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spell — a short time
  18. land — ground
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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