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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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468
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: deal · hand · hide · capital · land · craft · fall · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — a country
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — in cards
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hand — help
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — boats

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