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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · rest · rush · face · mine · bear · content · mouse

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rash — hasty
  13. content — happy
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. face — to confront
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. content — the amount
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mouse — the animal

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