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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: shower · face · staff · deal · craft · mine · mouse · march

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. craft — boats
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — part of the head
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — for digging
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — a big deal

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