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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.

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: drill · stick · cap · temple · spell · current · craft · lash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — electric
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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