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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. craft — boats
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — to cut
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. leaves — of a tree

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