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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 120 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 · net · foot · hand · lash · degree · bay · key

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hand — help
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — the animal

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