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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — boats
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — all right
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pop — soda
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pop — to visit
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pop — music

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