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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. land — to come down
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — a break
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — in a road
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — in football
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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