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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: arm · mouse · mate · bass · shower · drill · scale · craft

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. bass — low music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — a skill
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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