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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: capital · temple · craft · mouse · fork · stem · wind · suit

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. capital — a city
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — of a plant

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