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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — happy
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pit — a hole
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — decided

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