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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: fine · craft · face · swing · cold · object · ruler · sharp

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fine — all right
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. face — to confront
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — a thing
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ruler — for measuring

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