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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — boats
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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