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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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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: court · lie · wound · mouse · hide · rest · squash · foot

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. court — of law
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. court — of a king
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — what's left
  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