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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: face · mug · plane · bear · court · hand · craft · cabinet

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to point toward
  4. court — of law
  5. craft — boats
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. craft — a skill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. court — for sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cabinet — ministers

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