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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: cell · rest · foot · patient · mug · mouse · shower · bat

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a face
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a cup

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