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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: ground · kick · foot · hide · mouse · land · rest · rash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. rash — on the skin

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