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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. present — a gift
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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