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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hand — in cards
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. root — of a plant
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. craft — boats
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. craft — a handicraft

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