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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. race — humankind
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — of water
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. craft — boats
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — to be able to
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — electric
  21. race — a contest
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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