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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 124 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mate — a partner
  6. row — to paddle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — a line
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. net — after costs
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. net — in sport
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. lie — an untruth

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