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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — a law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — to get on
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — government
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. board — a committee
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. board — a flat piece

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