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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. craft — boats
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a great time
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. craft — a skill

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