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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. clip — for paper
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. row — to paddle
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. clip — a video
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — a gift
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. craft — a skill
  14. present — there
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. clip — to cut
  18. 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