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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: craft · hide · wave · sharp · date · can · net · mouse

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. net — after costs
  24. craft — boats

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