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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — boats
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a city
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spell — letters
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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