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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: lean · mouse · wound · net · pass · sharp · wave · roll

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — after costs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a list
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — exactly

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