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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.

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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spell — letters

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