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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: hand · bore · stick · mouse · staff · current · firm · craft

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — help
  17. craft — boats
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — in cards
  23. firm — a company
  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