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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. march — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — finally
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lash — to lash out

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