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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — to fit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — boats
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — clothes
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — the fruit

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