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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. perch — the fish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. face — part of the head

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