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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — clever
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — boats

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