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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. scale — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — boats
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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