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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: mouse · cap · lash · hand · branch · ball · saw · present

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — a division
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ball — a great time
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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