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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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 · craft · mine · fan · racket · last · chair · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — high quality
  7. craft — boats
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. chair — a leader
  24. craft — a handicraft

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