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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: lash · lean · mine · can · cabinet · court · bore · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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