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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — boats
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — child
  20. band — a ring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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