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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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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: bat · band · nail · mouse · last · firm · pitcher · lash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — steady
  9. band — a music group
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — decided
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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