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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — a box
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitcher — a jug

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