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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.

Make a worksheet

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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mine — for digging
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. march — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — the sport

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