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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.

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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 · wind · plane · dip · ruler · court · snap · craft

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of law
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. court — for sport

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