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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.

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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: file · lean · craft · season · capital · nail · cue · mouse

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. file — a document
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. capital — money
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — for a hammer

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