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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — a law
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — to wash
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — to recline
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. land — to come down
  22. rule — government
  23. land — ground
  24. rule — to rule out

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