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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — to handle
  6. face — part of the head
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cell — a phone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ground — the earth
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — help
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — a big deal

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