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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: wind · temple · mug · rest · saw · field · mark · craft

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — to rob
  5. field — for sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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