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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — a stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — there
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — to recline
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — on a finger

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