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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: game · saw · nail · mouse · kid · cap · rest · ruler

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a match

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