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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: mouse · racket · nail · wound · bowl · toast · chest · key

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — for tennis

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