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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 116 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 rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. club — a group
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — the underground
  15. last — finally
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a skill

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