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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: arm · track · kick · last · suit · deal · temple · craft

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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 — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — a skill
  6. last — final
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — finally

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