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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — boats
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — high quality
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fine — all right

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