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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: wind · bulb · rest · stand · content · leaves · drill · mouse

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. drill — a practice
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. content — the amount
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — happy
  24. wind — moving air

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