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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: mouse · ball · object · wind · nail · swing · rash · cap

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. object — to protest
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — to play on
  15. object — an aim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — in golf
  21. object — a thing
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a hat

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