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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. last — finally
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. last — final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — to go on
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — in football
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — a container
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — a skill

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