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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — to recline
  18. clip — to cut
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — for paper
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. clip — a video

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