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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.

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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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