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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bass — the fish
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — to go on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — to recline

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