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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · chest · craft · lie · club · ruler

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — a group
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lie — an untruth

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