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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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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: mouse · cold · bark · can · arm · mate · bank · craft

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — of a river
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cold — not warm
  24. craft — a skill

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