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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
468
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: fan · land · sharp · bowl · craft · stock · clip · lie

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. clip — a video
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — to cut
  16. land — ground
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. land — a country
  19. stock — goods
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. sharp — with an edge

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