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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — ground
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a great time
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — a break
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ball — a dance

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