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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: vault · craft · rest · can · mug · hand · temple · capital

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — boats
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — a break
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a city
  20. hand — help
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mug — a face
  23. capital — money
  24. can — to be able to

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