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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. hand — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. present — the time now
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — part of the body

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