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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. face — part of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — to point toward
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — the time now
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — boats
  20. rush — hurry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — temperature

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