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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: sharp · craft · plane · temple · mouse · rush · bat · shower

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. craft — boats
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rush — hurry
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — for baseball

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