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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — a short time
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — to go away

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