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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a document
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a skill

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