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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — to get on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — all right
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — a break
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fine — a penalty
  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