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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. date — the fruit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — a division
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. date — on the calendar

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