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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spring — the season
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. snap — to click

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