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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. squash — the sport
  10. land — to come down
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — a country
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — ground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — a container
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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