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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. craft — a skill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — boats
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — all right
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — certain
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. racket — a loud noise

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