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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — boats
  3. cell — in biology
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rock — a stone

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