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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: press · content · craft · temple · cabinet · bat · current · rush

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — boats
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — a skill
  12. content — happy
  13. current — happening now
  14. press — a publisher
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. content — the amount
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — in an idiom

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