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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a ring
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — thin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a music group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — happening now
  24. bat — the animal

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