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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 · hide · craft · tube · cue · bank · spring · nail

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bank — of a river
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spring — the season
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tube — a container
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bank — for money

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