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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — to keep track
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — a song
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. craft — boats
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bound — certain

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