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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: sharp · content · file · craft · stock · mouse · wave · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. file — a tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mate — a friend
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — of the sea

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