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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. land — a country
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — a group
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — boats
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — to come down
  14. swing — in golf
  15. club — for golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — to play on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — to push
  24. temple — a place of worship

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