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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mate — a friend
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — to recline
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — boats
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. race — humankind
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — a stone

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