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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — boats
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — bread
  18. bank — of a river
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in biology

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