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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — a company
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — steady
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — boats
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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