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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. craft — boats
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a match

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