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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mine — for digging
  13. craft — boats
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a handicraft

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