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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — after costs
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. rule — a law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — government

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