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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: suit · craft · mine · wave · bowl · swing · bark · temple

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. craft — boats
  4. swing — to play on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — in golf
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — to fit
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. swing — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — clothes

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