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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
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: mouse · fall · rule · lash · last · can · mine · bass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. last — final
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — finally
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — government
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — to be able to
  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