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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mug — a cup
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. craft — boats
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mug — a face
  11. cold — not warm
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — an illness
  17. craft — a skill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — exactly

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