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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.

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: mouse · wound · drill · hand · lash · perch · club · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — a group
  19. hand — help
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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