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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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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: rest · ground · saw · bass · ruler · present · object · kid

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — child
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the fish
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. present — a gift
  22. object — a thing
  23. present — the time now
  24. kid — to tease

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