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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. face — to point toward
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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