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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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 — boats
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. suit — to fit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — of the year
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — in cards
  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