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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: lash · nail · wound · mouse · kid · ground · track · saw

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kid — child
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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