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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
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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 · lash · mate · game · suit · wound · cabinet · fan

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — to fit

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