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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: temple · cold · stock · fine · leaves · saw · craft · cabinet

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cold — not warm
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stock — goods
  17. craft — a skill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — shares

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