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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. craft — boats
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — the season
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fall — to drop

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