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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rock — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. face — part of the head
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — to recline
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. craft — boats
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — to move gently

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