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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — final
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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