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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: fork · racket · nail · temple · craft · shower · leaves · stick

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. shower — rain
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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