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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: can · hide · sharp · band · court · temple · nail · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. band — a ring
  23. court — of law
  24. hide — animal skin

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