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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.

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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: mouse · wound · straw · rash · hand · rock · bear · cue

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cue — a hint
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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