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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · spell · mouse · can · lie · tear · mate · tube

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — letters
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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