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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: bowl · leaves · drill · deal · mouse · scale · lash · rash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — a series
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — hasty
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — for weighing

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