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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: row · mouse · sharp · foot · lash · key · rash · dip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — hasty
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. row — to paddle
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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