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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: hand · mouse · net · tear · key · lash · temple · spell

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — for catching
  5. key — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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