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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
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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: bear · season · court · stem · temple · hand · craft · object

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — for sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — help
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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