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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. craft — boats
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — a group
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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