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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fall — the season
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — to drop
  23. toast — bread
  24. bear — the animal

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