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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · stock · mine · arm · snap · chip · temple · saw

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. snap — to click
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. temple — a place of worship

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