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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ground — a position
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. present — there
  20. ground — crushed
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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