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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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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 · wound · squash · scale · mouse · wake · nail · dip

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — on a finger

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