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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
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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: stem · saw · mouse · lash · scale · rash · ground · mine

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — a series
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — hasty
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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