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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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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: saw · bore · chest · leaves · mark · fine · rush · mouse

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chest — a box
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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