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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — a match
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chest — a box
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — to go on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — final
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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