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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — to recline
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — an untruth

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