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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: bulb · ball · rush · foot · fall · mouse · rest · mug

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mug — a face
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

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