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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. root — of a word
  21. march — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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