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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: craft · land · file · band · temple · pit · can · dip

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. dip — to sink
  3. land — a country
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. file — a line of people
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a document
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a music group
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a ring
  24. craft — a skill

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