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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. craft — boats
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bore — to tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — gave birth

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