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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
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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: mine · firm · fan · spring · wound · craft · chest · mouse

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — of water
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — the season
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — steady
  20. mine — for digging
  21. craft — boats
  22. chest — a box
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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