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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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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: perch · craft · wound · capital · toast · temple · mouse · patient

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. craft — boats
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. craft — a skill
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. toast — bread

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