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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. date — the fruit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — a hint
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — steady
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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