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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: lie · rule · craft · mouse · racket · hand · wound · bass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — low music
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — a law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — help
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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