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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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468
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — boats
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — in music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. perch — the fish

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