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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 116 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 · lie · hide · kid · wake · wave · craft · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a skill
  5. club — a group
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — for golf
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kid — to tease

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