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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: mug · bark · rule · foot · mate · chest · rest · board

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mug — a cup
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — government
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — a face
  24. rest — a break

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