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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a face
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — help

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