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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. craft — boats
  3. toast — bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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