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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: wound · mouse · chest · fine · mine · pitcher · lash · net

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. chest — a box
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mine — belonging to me

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