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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.

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 · leaves · row · key · hand · mine · wave · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. key — for a lock
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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