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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — in a road
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — moving air
  11. last — final
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a trace
  24. last — finally

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