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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. face — to confront
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — boats
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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