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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: craft · net · lash · bay · temple · prune · ground · capital

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ground — the earth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — after costs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — money
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. capital — a city
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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