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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: cold · craft · fork · jam · can · temple · safe · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. can — to be able to
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cold — not warm
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — a tight spot

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