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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — help
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — part of the body

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