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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 120 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: kick · leaves · craft · ground · face · mouse · bass · spring

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — the instrument

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