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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: mouse · craft · bat · temple · nail · lie · kick · game

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. kick — in football
  7. bat — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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