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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: bay · rest · stand · mouse · deal · fan · kick · roll

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — a list
  24. stand — for spectators

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