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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: mouse · kid · lash · bank · content · bat · plane · rock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bank — for money
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bank — of a river
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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