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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — hasty
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — boats
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — to wash
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. shower — rain

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