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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. present — the time now
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — the tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. season — of the year

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