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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
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: wake · temple · net · pit · hide · mine · craft · bat

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — a skill
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — after costs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — in sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. temple — a place of worship

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