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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.

Make a worksheet

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 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. scale — in music
  16. branch — a division
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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