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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. craft — boats
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stem — to come from
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a friend

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