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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a partner
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. craft — a skill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth

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