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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — letters
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bound — certain
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — a division
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. craft — a skill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. branch — of a tree

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