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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 120 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: lean · lash · mine · chest · mate · march · can · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. march — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — thin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chest — a box

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