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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. sharp — clever
  4. foot — a measure
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — boats
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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