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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — finally
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — on a finger

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