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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rash — a series
  10. date — the fruit
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — certain
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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