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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 120 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: mate · straw · lie · mouse · fall · spell · craft · net

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. net — after costs
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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