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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. hand — help
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — side of the head

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