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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. craft — boats
  6. perch — the fish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — a trail
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — to handle
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. band — a music group
  22. kid — child
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — thin

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