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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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