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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: game · craft · lie · rule · fine · cell · hand · hide

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — boats
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cell — in biology
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — government
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. hand — help
  24. craft — a skill

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