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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — money
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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