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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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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 · temple · arm · wake · bound · cap · craft · content

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — the amount
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a hat

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