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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · drill · mine · roll · cabinet · racket · craft · arm

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — a cake
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a skill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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