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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bat — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — a trail
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a ring
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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