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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: mate · craft · wave · straw · wake · temple · kid · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — for a computer

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