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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — a gift
  4. land — to come down
  5. present — the time now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — music
  8. present — there
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rest — a break
  11. season — in sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — a country
  19. chest — a box
  20. craft — boats
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chest — of your body

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