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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: rest · foot · cell · pass · game · branch · mouse · lash

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — a break
  14. cell — in biology
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — a permit

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