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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: bat · craft · roll · wave · rule · wound · suit · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — government
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — a list
  16. rule — a law
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. craft — a handicraft

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