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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a skill
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — to recline
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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