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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mug — a face
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — to rob
  14. press — newspapers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — a skill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — a signal

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