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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: kick · craft · can · cold · jam · fork · temple · nail

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — in football
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fork — in a road
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. jam — a tight spot

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