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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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