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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — a contest
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — all right
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — for digging
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ball — a dance

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