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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — of law
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — a grade
  24. craft — boats

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