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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · craft · land · temple · chair · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. drill — army training
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — boats
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. cue — for pool
  16. land — to come down
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chair — a leader

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