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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. season — of the year
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — of water
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — the season
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. race — a contest

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