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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left

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