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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — army training
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — the amount
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — a coil
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. content — happy
  21. spring — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — part of the 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