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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
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: dip · craft · mine · staff · stand · mouse · snap · object

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — to bear
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. dip — to sink
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to click
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — the animal

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