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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: stock · spell · temple · safe · craft · present · capital · lash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. present — there
  2. stock — shares
  3. spell — magic
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spell — a short time
  19. capital — a city
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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