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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pop — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — hurry
  24. net — after costs

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