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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — of a word
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. craft — a skill
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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