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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · stick · arm · wound · spring · saw · craft · mouse

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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