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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. kid — to tease
  12. row — a line
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kid — child
  18. lie — to recline
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hide — animal skin

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