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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.

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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: pound · mate · mouse · fall · lash · mark · bound · last

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. last — final
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — to go on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. last — finally
  24. mouse — for a computer

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