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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 120 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 · key · rule · bore · mouse · kid · rash · bear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kid — child
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to tire
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — a series

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