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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: bat · hand · wave · lie · bay · prune · craft · racket

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — boats
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — to recline

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