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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cell — in a prison

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