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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: chest · stand · nail · rule · bass · mouse · ground · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — government
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bass — low music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rule — a law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chest — a box

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