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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — of water
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — all right
  21. craft — boats
  22. spring — a coil
  23. craft — a skill
  24. club — a group

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