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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cue — a hint
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — humankind
  8. chair — a leader
  9. tear — from crying
  10. race — a contest
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tear — to rip
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chair — a professorship

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