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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: lean · rock · wind · ruler · mark · ball · rash · mouse

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — a series
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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