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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: wake · craft · mouse · can · present · ground · temple · season

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. ground — crushed
  11. season — in sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — the time now
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — there
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. temple — side of the head

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