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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: leaves · rest · rash · bear · ground · toast · kid · pitcher

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rash — a series
  16. ground — a position
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — the earth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kid — child
  24. rest — what's left

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