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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mate — a partner
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. craft — a skill
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — a friend

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