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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: lie · content · sharp · craft · fine · mug · cold · squash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — boats
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — happy
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — an illness
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. squash — the vegetable

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