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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lean — to bend
  8. club — for dancing
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — for golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — a phone
  18. last — final
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. club — a group
  24. track — to keep track

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