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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: bass · squash · chip · bore · hide · mouse · craft · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chip — to eat

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