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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — boats
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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