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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: file · trunk · face · pitcher · craft · wax · bass · spell

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a document
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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