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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: fall · cabinet · can · craft · temple · mouse · plane · chest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — a box
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fall — to drop

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