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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — thin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — for sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — to rest against

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