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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. capital — a city
  12. track — a song
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — boats
  16. spell — a short time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a path
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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