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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — in a race
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bark — to shout
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — rain
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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