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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.

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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: bass · foot · kick · lie · mark · rest · mouse · squash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — low music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — in football
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. squash — the vegetable

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