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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. game — a match
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bound — certain
  17. dip — to sink
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rock — a stone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to dunk

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