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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. net — for catching
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — an untruth

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