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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a cake
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — in biology
  24. roll — on a roll

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