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

Word bank: lie · cell · mug · craft · bay · rule

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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 — boats
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  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