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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: face · bore · mouse · wake · pitch · bear · lash · land

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — a country
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — to confront
  23. land — to come down
  24. bore — gave birth

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