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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 120 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — to fit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of law
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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