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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: kick · mouse · hand · kid · bowl · rest · object · coach

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — child
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. object — a thing
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rest — a break
  24. kick — a thrill

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