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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a match
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — a soup base

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