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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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 handicraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — in football
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. spell — letters
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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