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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: board · pit · craft · stick · wax · field · saw · temple

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pit — in a race
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — a committee
  20. field — a subject
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — boats
  24. temple — side of the head

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