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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.

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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: stand · craft · nail · cell · content · shower · temple · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — high quality
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a skill
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. stand — to bear
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — all right
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — for a hammer

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