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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 120 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: fan · temple · mate · bark · craft · capital · tube · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — to breed

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