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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — there
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — help
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. rash — a series
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — a subject

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