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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · fine · temple · wind · rest · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — all right
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rest — what's left

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