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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 · lean · craft · bore · land · chest · fall · mate

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chest — a box
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — to breed
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chest — of your body
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — thin

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