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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — shares
  7. hand — in cards
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chest — a box
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — goods

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