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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · fan · hand · rush · mouse · lash · pitcher · season

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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