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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — clever
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — with an edge

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