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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: last · temple · craft · swing · straw · game · racket · wake

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — to play on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — final
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — to go on

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