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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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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: rash · bank · craft · lie · spring · fine · sharp · pitcher

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rash — hasty
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — boats
  15. spring — a coil
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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