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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: temple · craft · staff · clip · net · rush · spell · deal

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. clip — to cut
  9. craft — a skill
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — after costs
  15. clip — a video
  16. craft — boats
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rush — hurry

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