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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · nail · date · mate · game · key · clip · lash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — the fruit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. clip — a video
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. key — in music
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mate — a partner
  18. clip — to cut
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — wild animals
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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