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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: hide · hand · mouse · mine · scale · bore · stock · shower

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stock — shares
  8. shower — rain
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stock — a soup base

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