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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — a series
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — boats
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. drill — army training
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. craft — a handicraft

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