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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · clip · racket · temple · mine · craft · date · lie

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — a video
  9. mine — for digging
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — boats
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mine — belonging to me

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