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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 · lean · bore · staff · game · rush · wound · roll

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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