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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: temple · rock · pitcher · craft · straw · land · content · sharp

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. content — happy
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — to come down
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — boats
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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