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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 120 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
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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: object · mouse · ball · stand · chest · dip · pop · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — to visit
  16. object — a thing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — to protest
  19. chest — a box
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chest — of your 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