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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fine — all right
  5. craft — boats
  6. shower — to wash
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. shower — rain
  17. hand — help
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — a penalty

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