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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · spring · hide · rash · tube · craft · leaves · temple

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. spring — a coil
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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