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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. craft — boats
  10. chest — a box
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — for pool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — a signal

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