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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lie — to recline
  3. craft — boats
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — a skill
  16. board — to get on
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — to go on

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