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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: hand · squash · rule · drill · temple · wound · craft · kick

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. craft — a skill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — help
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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