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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — the season
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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