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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: hand · pop · fine · mine · lie · craft · ball · leaves

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — help
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — all right
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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