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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — there
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of law
  19. craft — boats
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — of the leg

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