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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: staff · prune · face · present · craft · current · hide · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — final
  6. craft — a skill
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — of water
  21. face — to point toward
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — employees

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