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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ball — a great time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. press — to push
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — newspapers

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