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

Word bank: mouse · kick · race · chip · mate · rest

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — for betting

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