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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — boats
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  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