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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. present — there
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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