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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 · board · court · bear · mouse · arm · tear · lash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. court — for sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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