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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.

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
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: nail · mouse · squash · ball · lash · march · court · arm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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