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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: mouse · straw · temple · wound · cue · hand · bat · plane

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — for pool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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