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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.

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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.

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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: hand · lash · mug · cue · rash · mouse · craft · net

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mug — to rob
  7. net — after costs
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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