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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.

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: rush · lash · rest · mouse · march · ball · bowl · ground

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — a break
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. march — music

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