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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 · straw · spell · track · cap · craft · jam · kick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a song
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — a hat
  7. track — a path
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — of ice
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kick — in football
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — a lid

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