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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — a match
  4. spring — of water
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — a country
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. land — ground
  10. net — in sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — after costs

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