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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: mug · bowl · face · last · craft · court · wake · pop

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — to visit
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pop — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. court — for sport
  19. last — final
  20. pop — soda
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. court — of law
  24. face — to confront

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