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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — boats
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — a skill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cold — an illness

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