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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 120 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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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 · saw · squash · craft · pit · snap · present · pound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — a gift
  4. craft — boats
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — a skill
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. snap — to click
  24. pound — a weight

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