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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.

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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 · hide · stick · lie · mark · march · chest · bowl

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — boats
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — a box
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — of your body

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