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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — a face
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — rain
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — to protest
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — for catching
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. craft — boats
  24. temple — side of the head

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