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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 124 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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — a stick
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — goods
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — a container
  24. row — a line

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