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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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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: fine · mouse · lash · pound · hand · wake · bat · cell

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hand — help
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pound — for dogs

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