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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wound — an injury
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — to recline

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