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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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spring — a coil
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mine — for digging
  11. track — a song
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — a handicraft

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