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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. field — farmland
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hand — help
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. suit — to fit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  24. vault — a safe

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