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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: calf · arm · mouse · last · wave · capital · temple · mate

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. last — finally
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a partner
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. capital — money

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