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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rule — government
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — finally
  12. press — to push
  13. last — final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. last — to go on
  20. craft — boats
  21. rule — a law
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — hasty

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