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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: trunk · game · cell · roll · temple · craft · can · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kid — to tease
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — wild animals
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — a skill

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