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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
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: row · mouse · toast · game · mug · kick · lash · pop

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pop — soda
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pop — music
  9. game — a match
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kick — in football
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. toast — bread
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kick — a thrill

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