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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — in sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — of water
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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