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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.

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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 · pitcher · season · rock · lean · hand · lash · bark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — to shout
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. season — of the year
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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