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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — boats

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