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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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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: lie · craft · temple · pound · present · stem

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — a weight
  4. present — there
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — a gift
  13. craft — boats
  14. present — the time now
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stem — of a plant

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