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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · mouse · net · tear · key · lash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. key — in music
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash

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