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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
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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: lash · mouse · track · saw · wave · prune · kid · shower

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. shower — rain
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — child
  22. track — a song
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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