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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — shares
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. craft — boats
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — rain

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