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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 116 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: bore · rash · rest · bat · lie · object · court · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. court — of law
  5. object — to protest
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — a thing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of a king
  20. bore — to tire
  21. court — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — 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