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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: fine · court · craft · bay · lie · snap · bat · kid

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. court — for sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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