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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: face · cap · fan · arm · chest · rock · lash · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. craft — a skill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a lid
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — a box

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