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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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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: craft · bat · mate · mouse · lean · stock · saw · mine

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. bat — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — a friend
  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