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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. craft — boats
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fine — high quality
  12. clip — to cut
  13. present — the time now
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — there
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — magic
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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