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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: rash · net · bat · mouse · deal · fan · toast · kick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — a series
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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