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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · club · hide · season · last · tube · craft · board

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. tube — the underground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — final
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — a container
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. last — finally
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. board — a committee
  24. temple — side of the head

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