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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — farmland
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. rash — a series
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. field — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wind — moving air
  22. field — a subject
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wind — moving air

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