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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — to rip
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. cue — for pool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — boats
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a signal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tear — from crying

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