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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. land — a country
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to click
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — an untruth

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