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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · rule · rock · mouse · game · chest · stem · march

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rule — government
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. game — a match
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. march — the month
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chest — a box
  24. mine — belonging to me

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