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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. bound — tied together
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — boats
  9. bound — certain
  10. last — to go on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — all right
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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