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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a skill

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