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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — army training
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — shares
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — for pool

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