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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. present — the time now
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. present — a gift
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. dip — to sink
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — there
  21. kid — child
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — a place of worship

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