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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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