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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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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 · kid · fine · craft · perch · stem · temple · chair

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — boats
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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