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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 116 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: fine · wound · lie · last · hand · ball · squash · craft

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a dance
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hand — help
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. last — final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — all right

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