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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 120 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: mate · kid · bat · mouse · staff · mark · snap · rush

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mate — a partner
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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