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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a dance
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to sink
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. craft — boats
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fall — the season
  24. spring — the season

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