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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · spell · mug · hand · dip · craft · mine · shower

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spell — letters
  11. mine — for digging
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spell — magic
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. craft — boats
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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