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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: content · file · ground · lash · can · staff · mark · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. content — the amount
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — a position
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. file — a document
  24. mark — a trace

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