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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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