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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a path
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — obliged
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — tied together
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — of the year
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — certain
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — in sport
  19. track — a song
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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