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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: cap · craft · last · temple · nail · pound · band · spell

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. last — finally
  3. band — a ring
  4. last — final
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a music group
  24. last — to go on

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