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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: wake · leaves · mouse · lash · pound · saw · chip · last

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. last — finally
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. last — to go on
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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