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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: craft · ball · bore · cue · temple · spring · last · land

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — to tire
  4. craft — a skill
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a great time
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — to go on
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. land — a country
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — to come down

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