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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. present — there
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. bear — the animal

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