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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — to recline
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — child
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. firm — steady
  20. march — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — a company

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