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

Word bank: roll · lash · race · bat · tube · jam · mouse · hand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — a cake

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