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

Word bank: mouse · race · cap · hide · mate · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — boats
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a friend
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mouse — the animal

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