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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. last — finally
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — final
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — boats
  21. band — a ring
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — to recline

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