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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — to grow
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a city
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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