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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: craft · snap · sharp · stand · toast · bowl · field · lie

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — a subject
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — boats
  23. toast — bread
  24. 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