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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 120 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: mouse · dip · wind · craft · bore · can · scale · current

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bore — to tire
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — of water
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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