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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. craft — boats
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — a tin

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