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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
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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: can · craft · hand · wound · face · bay · last · bowl

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — to be able to
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — help
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. last — to go on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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