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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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