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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: can · mouse · mine · bat · hide · wind · bay · dip

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — for digging

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