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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for golf
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — a break
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — boats

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