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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rule — government
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — rain
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. court — of law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — to rule out

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