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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — boats
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — for catching
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — to confront
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — army training

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