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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. fine — all right
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — boats
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to click
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — of a word
  19. mate — a partner
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a plant
  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