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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — clothes
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rock — music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. craft — boats

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