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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — ground
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — a hat
  19. land — a country
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — a break

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