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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. season — of the year
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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