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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. craft — boats
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — farmland
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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