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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. craft — a skill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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