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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — a cake
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. object — a thing
  9. spring — the season
  10. perch — the fish
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — to protest
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a list
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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