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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — after costs
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — to recline
  18. net — for catching
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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