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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 · band · lash · present · hand · last · fall · foot

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — to go on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. present — there
  11. foot — a measure
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — help
  16. last — final
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — finally
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fall — to drop

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