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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: rush · net · mouse · game · season · can · fall · cold

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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