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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — boats
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — there
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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