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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.

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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: wake · tube · nail · craft · temple · season · game · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — a position
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. season — of the year
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tube — a container
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a match
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — in sport

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