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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — ground
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a skill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chest — a box

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