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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — in a race
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pit — a hole

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