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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pop — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. shower — rain
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — to shout
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a handicraft

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