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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. capital — money
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — to wash
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. shower — rain
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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