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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
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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: craft · wake · coach · fan · chest · lie · dip · toast

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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