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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. craft — boats
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rest — a break

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