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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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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: kick · rest · key · rock · wave · mine · mouse · chair

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kick — in football
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rest — a break
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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