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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 120 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: tube · mug · bark · last · spring · temple · craft · staff

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a skill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — final
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. last — to go on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — to rob
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — finally
  23. spring — the season
  24. tube — a container

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