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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: rush · chest · ground · cabinet · cell · mouse · ruler · net

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — a position
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cell — a phone

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