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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. date — the fruit

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