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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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