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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: mouse · wave · lash · chair · kick · bat · cap · content

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — of the sea
  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