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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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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: net · craft · pound · snap · temple · staff · charge · kid

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — boats
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — child
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — a weight
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — to tease

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