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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — to keep track

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