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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: wound · craft · bulb · face · lie · row · can · arm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — part of the head
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — to be able to

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