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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — a break
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rest — what's left

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