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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — goods
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — help
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — to bend
  18. track — a song
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hand — in cards

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