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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. craft — boats
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a cup

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