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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: mouse · wave · hand · cap · court · foot · rest · rule

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. court — of a king
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rule — government
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. court — for sport
  21. hand — help
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — the bottom

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