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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: nail · mouse · staff · squash · net · race · lash · bass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. squash — the sport
  15. race — humankind
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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